The Produce Box

It all started with a sheet of paper in her mailbox! Michelle Najarian and her family had just moved down to Raleigh eight years ago from an area of New Jersey with lots of farmer produce stands nearby. When a small flier invited her to try The Produce Box’s fresh local produce delivery service, Michelle and her husband decided to go for it. In 2007 we were still a small company (with only 2 Box option, Michelle remembers with a laugh!), but our commitment to providing great produce and giving back to the local community was the same! And Michelle loved the convenience of having fresh produce delivered to her door. Today, she and her family regularly get a Bounty or Harvest Box delivery and hardly ever have to go to the grocery store. “The Produce Box makes you more aware. You start to really think about where your food comes from and the journey it takes to get to you,” said Michelle. The more Michelle learned about where her produce comes from, the more she’s been committe...

Make mealtimes faster this fall so you can spend more time enjoying the cooler weather! These recipes will help you empty your weekly Produce Box and leave you feeling warm, full and satisfied. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vegetable Soup   f rom TPB’s Chef Joe 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups chopped onions 2 tables finely minced garlic Kosher salt 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (2 carrots) 2 cups peeled and diced potatoes 2 cups cabbage diced 2 cups zucchini diced 2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth 2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes 1 bell pepper seeded and diced ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and sweat until they be...

And NOW it finally feels like Fall! The air is getting crisp and colorful leaves cover the ground. Fall is also the end of apple season, so try this delicious recipe and use your apples from last week's Box! What You’ll Need: 10 cups sliced and peeled apples (variety can vary) ¼ cup butter or margarine, melted 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice ¾ cup packed brown sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ cup apple cider Preparation: 1.    Spray 5- to 6- quart slow cooker with cooking spray. 2. In slow cooker, mix apples, butter and lemon juice. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon; toss to coat. 3. Pour cider over apples. 4. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 3 hours 30 minutes or until apples are tender. Enjoy by themselves or over ice cream, oatmeal, with whipped cream, the list goes on!

Around Halloween, it’s always a challenge to get kids to back away from the trick or treat bags full of candy and enjoy healthy food at the dinner table. Here are a few tips to help you trick your family into eating more of your fresh, local Produce Box fruit and veggie  treats! Dress those veggies for success Steaming vegetables is a quick way to cook them, but sometimes they can lack flavor. Next time you steam, treat the veggies like a warm salad, and drizzle your favorite dressing on top. Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat, no matter how you prepare them. For the kids, make savory sweet potato fries. Cut into long pieces and coat in olive oil, then lightly season and bake at 400 F. Dip them in hummus or your favorite condiment for a healthy treat your kids can’t resist.   Mom’s "Special Sauce" Another sneaky trick is hiding vegetables in your sauces and traditional meals. Spaghetti sauce from homemade tomato sauce is a go...

We love it when our artisanal providers have a mission that aligns so well with ours! Based out of Cary, Huntington began with two parents wanting to make foods that were healthier for their family. Since 2012, Huntington Provision Co. has been dedicated to delivering scratch-made, all-natural, locally sourced & classically inspired artisanal foods to the people of North Carolina. In the few years that they’ve been sharing their nut butters and granola products with others, they’ve continued to be at the forefront of food trends and changing health movements to provide a product with the best tasting, healthiest ingredients for you and your family. We recently asked Jen, co-founder of Huntington Provision Co. about what motivated her and her family to eat healthy and run their own food business. “As the business has gone on, my passion has been nutrition,” Jen says. She loves providing organic, non-GMO, low sugar foods for her two sweet boys. As Jen’s learned abou...

Just a few weeks ago, The Produce Box returned as a bronze-level sponsor of the Isabella Santos Foundation 5K/10K Race for Kids Cancer for our second year. This awesome event in South Charlotte brings families together (and has for 8 years!) to raise both money and awareness for pediatric cancer. The Isabella Santos Foundation (ISF) is a nonprofit that raises funds for Neuroblastoma research, pediatric cancer and local children’s charities in memory of Isabella Santos who lost her 5-year battle with Neuroblastoma on June 28, 2012. Since it started in 2009, ISF has raised over $1 MILLION for Neuroblastoma research and local charities!!! How great is that?! Photo Credit: The Isabella Santos Foundation Courtney speaks for all of us at The Produce Box when she describes why we love to help out the Santos Foundation each year: “This cause is close to our heart. Almost two years ago, one of our amazing area managers, Lisa Holden, lost her sweet eight-year-old daughter, Melaney, to Ne...